Undergraduate (BFA) Open Houses

Next Virtual Open House at MECA: Saturday, January 23

MECA’s Open House Agenda

Welcome to Maine College of Art's Virtual Open House! Each session below will have its own Zoom session and will have closed captioning.

January 23, 2021 Open House
Theme: Be Seen

1–2pm EST: Info Session & Student Panel
+ President Laura Freid & Dean Ian Anderson will begin with a welcome
+ Hear mini presentations from VIP Faculty + Staff
+ A panel of current BFA students will lead a Q+A: participation encouraged!

2:15–3pm EST: Live Artmaking Demos and Workshops
Choose from one of two live Zoom workshops detailed below.

3–5pm EST: Portfolio Reviews with Admissions Counselors and Alumni
Sign up here for a time slot and we'll text you back with a Zoom Room link and time.

Live Artmaking Demos & On-Demand Workshops

Live sessions will be live on Zoom and will be closed captioned.

📽️ In Convo: MECA Students Animate "Be Seen"
(Zoom link will be posted here 1/22/2021)
Join Adam Fisher, MECA Animation program chair, and Animation seniors Ruthie Harrison '21 and Richie Ward '21 as they discuss their work on the MECA "Be Seen" homepage animation as well as the MECA Game Art program.

🗿 Live Demo: Sculpture
(Zoom link will be posted here 1/22/2021)
Learn more about the studio processes you may encounter as a first-year student in the MECA Sculpture Department with Ben Spalding, Assistant Professor in Foundations. Note: If you’d like to participate, please have these following supplies ready: At least 20 sheets of paper (computer, notebook or whatever is available), drawing tools of your choice and tape of any kind.
Process and Practice: As artists and makers, we are often outcome-driven. What happens when we approach art making through experimentation and intuitive thinking? This demonstration is a process-based and iterative exercise, where we will making drawings and paper forms. We will discuss process-based practices, multiples and the importance of experimentation as part of a creative practice.

On Demand Workshops

📰 On-Demand: Printmaking Demo

Join artist Pilar Nadal '13 for a letterpress printing demo at Pickwick Independent Press in Portland, Maine. Learn about the historic use of type for printed media, find out what a composing stick is, and see the operation of a Vandercook printing press as she produces a short edition of a poster.

✒️ On-Demand: Illustration Workshop

This workshop/demo includes glimpses of work by MECA Illustration majors, work by instructor Michael Connor, and a fun sketch exercise using juxtaposition to create layered meanings using found objects and surprise prompts.

🎨 On-Demand: Painting Workshop

Prof. Annika Earley demonstrates how to create layers of transparency with your preferred paint of choice. Step-by-step instructions + materials.

Explore MECA at Your Own Pace

Take a campus tour and go deeper into each of our studio majors

Virtual Campus Tour

Let a MECA student lead you through Portland

Learn about what makes Portland the right-sized city for students with a student-tour of the city and select year-round highlights of all that Portland has to offer.

Virtual Film Fest

Watch films and animations by current students and recent MECA grads in our Virtual Film Fest!

"Mable and the Wolf"
by StopMotionCollab: Khayman Clancy, Sam McKenzie, Amanda Saker (all class of '20)

"Spillage"
a junior collaboration film, class of '18

"Newt: The Invincible Ball Boy (Work in Progress)"
by Corey Boynton '21

"Hotdog vs. Hotdog"
by Alex Ryan (Faculty)

"Title" is the actual title of this one.
by Logan White '20

"Penny Woes"
by Sam Tabibian '21

"Tiny Sheriff vs Slightly Larger Outlaw"
by Josh Lightbourne '20, Elise Foley '19, Taryn Perry '19

"Untitled 2D animation film"
by Will Kittridge '19

How to Apply to MECA

High School Seniors + Transfer Students: check out the next steps to apply for the undergrad program in Spring or Fall 2021

High School Sophomores + Juniors: learn more about Pre-College at MECA

Safe and Healthy MECA

Learn more about how our community is responding to COVID and keeping our community healthy.

Learn More About MECA

Schedule an appointment to chat with our staff at your convenience

Click on a department name here to schedule an appointment by email:

Admissions (or select an appointment here)
Financial Aid
Student Life
Registrar
Counseling & Wellness
Disability Services

Register for this event or another Virtual Open House

SPRING 2021
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Saturday, February 20, 2021

Register for a Virtual Open House

Register for a Virtual Open House at MECA

Student Full Legal Name*
First Last
Student Preferred Name, if applicable
If you go by another name other than the one listed above, you may enter it here. Please note that this is the name we will use for emails, mailings, and name tags.
Address*
Street Address City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
Student Email Address*
Parent Email Address
Which Virtual Open House would you like to attend?*
Would you like a portfolio review?
We'll contact you to schedule an individual portfolio review with you and an Admissions Counselor, alum, or faculty member on the day of the Open House.
What is your student status?*
- I am a high school freshman.
- I am a high school sophomore.
- I am a high school junior.
- I am a high school senior, looking to enter in Fall 2021.
- I am a high school graduate with no college experience.
- I am currently in college, or have college credits, looking to transfer to MECA.
Name of current or most recent high school or college?
What program are you interested in?*
Do you have any accessibility concerns for attending a Virtual Open House that you would like to share with us?
Do you have any questions or concerns you'd like us to know in advance of a Virtual Open House?